Parenting styles: An evidence-based, cross-cultural guide
Is your parenting style authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or uninvolved? Learn how researchers classify parents, and how parenting affects kids.
Parenting
The authoritarian parenting style: What does it look like?
The authoritarian parenting style sets high standards for children to follow. But how does it differ from other approaches to child-rearing? How can you tell if your own style is authoritarian or authoritative? And, given that authoritarian caregiving isn’t linked with the best child outcomes, why do some parents keep practicing it?
The effects of praise on kids: 10 Evidence-based tips for better outcomes
The effects of praise aren’t always good. What can we do to maximize the benefits of praise – and avoid undermining children’s motivation?
Parenting stress: What causes it, and how does it change us?
Parenting stress damages our well-being, and it may alter the course of a child’s development. What causes it? How does it change us? What can we do to cope?
Why kids rebel (and how we can encourage cooperation)
Most kids are ready to be cooperative. But they recognize limits to our power. When we overreach, kids reject our authority as illegitimate.
What is parental phubbing, and how does it harm families?
No need to point fingers, because we’ve all done it: Ignoring people around us while we focus on a technological device. When we ignore or snub folks with our smartphones, it’s called “phubbing,” and since many of us carry our smartphones everywhere, phubbing has become very common. But — no surprise! — phubbing can erode … Continue reading
The science of attachment parenting
Attachment parenting, or AP, is an approach to child-rearing intended to forge strong, secure attachments between parents and children. Inspired by the work of psychologist John Bowlby, supporters argue that babies need close, physical contact from their primary caregivers, and infants signal for this in a variety of ways.
Stress in babies: How to keep babies calm, happy, and emotionally healthy
What causes stress in babies? How can we protect babies from toxic stress? Here are evidence-based tips to avoid meltdowns, and foster healthy development.
Excessive infant crying and irritability: Which comes first — the unhappy baby or the stressed-out parent?
Parenting stress can affect babies, but studies don’t justify the conclusion that excessive infant crying is caused by stressed-out parents.
Interrupted sleep: What are the effects, and how can we cope?
Interrupted sleep causes impairments in well-being and ability to function, above and beyond the total amount of time we spend sleeping.
Taming aggression in children: 5 strategies for effective parenting
Good news from researchers who study aggression in children: By changing our mental habits, we can help prevent aggression before it erupts.
The authoritative parenting style: An evidence-based guide
What is authoritative parenting, and why is it beneficial? Find out if your style is authoritative, and what practices help kids thrive.